Echinacea plant named ‘Ferris Wheel’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echinacea  plant named ‘Ferris Wheel’ characterized by large inflorescences with quilled ray florets of creamy white, a compact, narrow, multicrown habit, a long bloom time, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Echinacea purpurea.

Variety designation: ‘Ferris Wheel’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea purpurea and given the cultivar name ‘Ferris Wheel’. Echinaceais in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar is a seeding originatingfrom a planned breeding program to make a quilled series of compactEchinacea. The exact parents of this selection are unknown, unnamed,proprietary plants.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Quills and Thrills’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,241),the new cultivar has creamy white flowers rather than purple pink.

This new Echinacea cultivar is distinguished by:

-   -   1. large inflorescences with quilled ray florets of creamy        white,    -   2. a compact, narrow, multicrown habit,    -   3. a long bloom time, and    -   4. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a two-year-old plant of Echinacea ‘Ferris Wheel’ growing inthe in the trial field in full sun in early July in Canby, Oreg. A blackbackground was held behind the plant to show it more clearly.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of the flower on the same plant.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Echinacea cultivarbased on observations of two-year-old specimens growing in the trialfield in full sun in early July in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 onthe USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F.in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall inCanby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. Thecolor descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.        -   Size.—Grows to about 35 cm wide and 63 cm tall to top of            inflorescences.        -   Form.—Basal clump, with about 19 stems from the ground.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,            ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from            cuttings from the crown.-   Stem (flowering):    -   -   Type.—Ascending, with 1 to 3 inflorescences per stem.        -   Size.—To 60 cm tall to a terminal inflorescence and 1 cm            wide at base.        -   Internode length.—2 cm to 6 cm.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose.        -   Color.—Yellow Green 147C.-   Leaf (basal):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Arrangement.—Basal.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 13.5 cm long and 8 cm wide.        -   Margins.—Coarsely serrate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—Pinnate, with 3 main veins from the base, Yellow            Green 147D on top and bottom side.        -   Color.—Topside Green N137A, bottom side closest to Yellow            Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—Clasping, grows to 17 cm long and 4 mm            wide above the clasp, sparsely strigose, Yellow Green 147D.-   Leaf (stem):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 11.5 cm long and 5 cm wide.        -   Margins.—Serrate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—Pinnate, with 3 main veins from the base, Yellow            Green 137C on top and Yellow Green 137D on bottom side.        -   Color.—Topside Green 137A, bottom side closest to Yellow            Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—On all but upper leaves, clasping,            grows to 4.5 cm long and 4 mm wide above the clasp, sparsely            strigose, Yellow Green 137C.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Composite on terminal stalked heads.        -   Number of flowering stems from the ground.—About 19.        -   Flowering stem.—Grows to 61 cm tall from the base of the            plant to the terminal inflorescence and can grow to 11 cm to            15 cm long from the top stem leaf to the base of an            inflorescence; branched with 1 to 3 inflorescences per stem;            diameter growing to 10 mm wide near the inflorescence;            strigose; Yellow Green 147C.        -   Size.—Grows to 11 cm wide and 5.5 cm deep as disc enlarges.        -   Form.—Ray florets held slightly reflexed, mature disc is            conic.        -   Immature inflorescence.—Grows to 2.8 cm wide and 2.5 cm            deep, ray florets held at a 70 degree angle from the            vertical and rolled up so only the back color shows, Yellow            4D with the tips Yellow 1B, disc color Yellow Green 146A.        -   Ray florets.—Without pistil or stamen, about 33 in number,            grow to 45 mm long and 25 mm wide, tubular with a fan with 3            to 4 lobes, glabrous inside and out, tube 10 mm to 25 mm            long and 1.5 mm to 4 mm wide, fan 12 mm to 30 mm long and 12            mm to 25 mm wide, margins entire, lobes 5 mm to 18 mm long            and 1.5 mm to 4 mm wide, color inside and outside on tube            and fan Yellow 11D, except tube base, Yellow Green 144A, and            lobe margins on inside, Yellow 11A, ovary 5 mm long and 2 mm            wide, White 155A with top Yellow Green 144A.        -   Disc.—Flat becoming conic, growing to 21 mm deep and 45 mm            wide with maturity, Orange 24A where only bracts show and            Yellow Green 146C where disc florets are open.        -   Disc florets.—About 400 in number, each with 1 pistil and 4            stamen, grow to 12 mm long and 3 mm wide, each with one            persistent, very stiff linear bract (14 mm long with top ⅓            Orange 24A, middle ⅓ Yellow Green 146B, bottom ⅓ White            155A); corollas 7 mm long and 3 mm wide, tubular with 5            lobes, lobes flaring, 1 mm long and 1 mm wide with margin            entire, tips acute, glabrous on both sides, both sides            Yellow Green 146C; pistil 12 mm long, ovary 4 mm long, White            NN155A, style 7 mm long Green White 157D, 2-branched stigma            1 mm long and spreading 2 mm, Green White 157A; stamen 5 mm            long, filaments 2 mm long, threadlike, White 155A, anthers 3            mm long Brown 200A, pollen Orange 24B.        -   Phyllaries.—In 4 leafy series, area grows to 40 mm wide and            10 mm deep, lobes lanceolate in shape, reflexed, grow to 10            mm long and 3 mm wide, Green N137A, margins strigose, tip            acute, strigose on both sides.        -   Receptacle.—Grows to 18 mm wide and 12 mm deep, White            NN155B.        -   Bloom period.—July through October in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—Floral.        -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about two weeks in            Canby, Oreg.        -   Seeds.—Not seen.        -   Fertility.—Poor.-   Disease and pests: No pests or diseases have been observed on plants    grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. No resistances are    known.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.